One Moms World Mom Blog - Jen Houck

Health

Affordable Student Insurance

Medical Insurance… it is two words we love or hate right? During these times in the economy, several families are having to face that they no longer have medical insurance. We had to face this in our own family. At first, it can seem there are no afforable options but just breathe in and relax. The main thing is to do your research and see what your family budget can afford.

One option that was brought to my attention is with United HealthCare Student Insurance. One of the features I really like about this insurance is the plan offers protection/coverage for injury AND sickness, 24/7/365. It is just not an insurance plan that will cover your kids while at school. Of course the best feature I liked is the price. That is what we all worry about right? This policy is only $98.00 every two months or $588.00 per policy year. The Health Plan is available to K12 students from ages 5 – 18 (ages 4-18 in Texas).

While the K12 Health Plan can provide a level of protection for uninsured children, it is also being purchased by many families who have high deductible employer coverage. If parents have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to meet their employer plan deductible, the K12 Health Plan can reimburse them for their children’s eligible medical expenses while they are working toward meeting their employer plan’s deductible.

Go ahead and take a look at the K12 insurance site and see all the options that you can tailor to your family. There are so many options that will make you feel more comfortable of taking out an affordable insurance plan for your family.

UHCSR is a division of UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company dedicated to student insurance programs for over 40 years.

Day 7 Thankful for Weekly Menus

I am a planner believe it or not. We do like to plan certain things even though we do just take random road trips. Today I am thankful for the weekly menus that I plan out. With my busy schedule throughout the week, it really helps me to know what I will be making for dinner that evening so I don’t have to stress about that everyday. Menu planning also helps us eat healthier as we are not just trying to throw something together last minute that may be on the unhealthy side like sandwiches and potato chips.

Here is our weekly menu for this week.

Monday:

Weight Watcher Chicken Cups
Baked Mac N Cheese
Orange Slices

Tuesday:

Herb Chicken
Cream Style Corn
Candid Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday:

Oscar Mayer Turkey Hotdogs
Tater Tots
Applesauce

Thursday:

BBQ Pork Loin
Pork Loin
1 Bottle of BBQ Sauce
12 oz. of Diet Coke
Chopped Onion
Cook on low in crockpot for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Baked Beans
Baked  Potato

Friday:

Pizza – Little Casears (4 points a slice)
Salad

Weight Watchers Lose For Good Campaign

As I am sure everyone knows, I am a huge Weight Watchers fan. It has helped me and continues to help me lose weight! When I heard that the Lose For Good Campaign was back for the second year, I was stoked.

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Weight Watchers is teaming up with its members and online subscribers and charitable partners, Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger, along with celebrity ambassador Jenny McCarthy, to fight hunger at a local and global level.

As Weight Watchers members lose weight from August 30th to October 17th, Weight Watchers will donate up to $1 million to help feed children and families who need it.  Plus, members can participate in local food drives at Meeting locations. So for the second year in a row, losing weight and getting healthy means healthy meals for kids, stocking food banks, and helping those in need.

Here’s a link to the Lose For Good page: http://www/weightwatchers.com/loseforgood.

Last year’s Lose for Good campaign not only raised $1 million to fight hunger, but 2,000 local food drives were established, 1.5 million pounds of food was donated to those in need, and Weight Watchers members lost a total of four million pounds!  In fact, the money donated from last year’s campaign saved the lives of 6,000 malnourished children in impoverished areas of the world, helped build community gardens, stock food banks and provide after school and summer meal programs for kids in the U.S.

This year, Weight Watchers aims to make the program even more successful by hosting an online social media day, Lose-A-Palooza, that lets everyone show support by getting the word out on the Web. For every mention of Lose for Good via blogs, Twitter, Facebook and MySpace on September 15, Weight Watchers will match with $1 to Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger – up to $25,000.

Here is a video as well that will help share more about this campaign:

For more ways to participate on Lose-A-Palooza day, September 15, you can either click on “discover even more ways to do a world of good” at the link above or visit http://www.weightwatchers.com/loseapalooza

Bringing In The New Year with Pneumonia

I just wanted to post a quick update. M and I had walking pneumonia which we are pretty much over with thanks to wonderful medicine. Unfortunately L got it Monday night when I was so hoping she wouldn’t.

Ever since she got RSV at 2.5 months old, it really did a lot of damage to her lungs and she just cannot fight things off well. We took her in Tuesday and they started her on medicine and breathing treatments ever 4 to 6 hours.

We took her back in today because we noticed her cough was not getting any better and she was really pale. When we got there her oxygen level was only 89 but by the time we left it was 95. They have put her on a new steroid that will go in her breathing machine and a new medicine, on top of her breathing treatments every 4 to 6 hours. They believe now, it has worked itself into full blow pneumonia :(. Just say a prayer for her that we can get this under control here at home and she will not have to be sent to the hospital. I have faith :).

Believe me, I have lots to share with you all of changes we are going through so stay tuned. 2009 WILL BE A GREAT YEAR despite the sickies!

Taking a Holistic Approach on my Health

After a year of being told my health problems were all in my head and that I needed to just go join Weight Watchers, I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment with our Holistic Medical Clinic.

It all started back about 3.5 years ago when I had my youngest daughter. I just never did bounce back after her birth. I know I did suffer from Post Partum depression, but I was too shy and felt like I was a failure if I went to the doctor about my problems. Then when I finally did go last year, it was like a slap in the face.

Anyways, hubbs and I agreed last week it was time to make my appointment. I have put it off way too long and I have heard so many wonderful testimonials about the Holistic Clinic here.

I walked away from the appointment finally feeling like I had a renewed hope and I would be able to get my life back. The best part of it all is, I can do it naturally :). I just want to share about my appointment in hopes this can help other moms know…NO we are not just crazy and yes pregnancy hormones can do many things to our body.

The appointment started out with several Nutritional Deficiency Tests. I will go through each one and my results.

First Test: Tissue Calcium Test

A muscle that can withstand 200mm/mercury is considered to have sufficient calcium stores. A patient who has cramping prior to 200mm/mercury is considered to be deficient in tissue calcium. The optimal tissue calcium level is considered to be 240mm/mercury or more.

My result: 120mm – He did ask me if osteoporosis runs in our family. I am surrounded by so many family members with this… so it was definitely a wake up call for me. He said if I do not do something about it now, by the time I am age 40 I will be in trouble.

Second Test: Salivary pH Testing

Normal oral pH Adult 7.4 to 7.6

A lower than normal oral pH is a sign of Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) need.

My results: 5.8

He put me on Flax Oil to take control of this issue. My hubbs has been taking this for the last year and I should have followed suit sooner.

Test 3 Zinc Test

This was a big test for me because of my immune system is not the greatest I don’t think. Because of the deficiencies in the American diet, clinical experience indicates that most Americans suffer from some degree of zinc deficiency. Zinc levels are just one indicator of the immune systems ability to function.

I was given this liquid to swish around my mouth and then swallow. Depending on my reaction determined my deficiency.

Grade 4 No Taste = Severe Deficiency

Grade 3 Slight taste, or delayed slight taste = Deficiency

Grade 2 Moderate unpleasant taste = Mild Deficiency

Grade 1 Immediate strong unpleasant taste = Adequate zinc status

My taste response was Grade 4. It tasted like water to me. This was good to know though so I can get my immune system built up.

Test 4 – Ragaland’s Test – Postural Hypotension Test

This test is used to determine the adrenal glands ability to raise blood pressure. In patients with adequately functioning adrenal glands the systolic blood pressure should rise 6 to 10mmHg when changing from lying to standing position. In patients with adrenal fatigue there is a failure of the systolic blood pressure to rise or there might even be a drop in the systolic blood pressure and they will feel dizzy.

Test Results

I passed this test really well. Lying BP was 109/71 – Standing BP was 111/81

Test 5 – Iodine Patch Test

Iodine deficiency is one of the primary causes of Hypothyroidism (under functioning thyroid). An individual that is hypothroid will usually complain of Intolerance to cold. Dy coarse skin and hair, Weight gain, Muscle fatigue, Depression, Headaches, Menstrual disturbance, Lethargy to name just few complaints. The rate at which the iodine is absorbed determines the severity of deficiency.

Patch is completely gone in 6 or less hours indicates a severe deficiency of iodine.

Patch is completely gone in 12 hours or less indicates a moderate deficiency of iodine.

Patch is completely gone in 24 hours or less indicates a mild deficiency of iodine.

Patch is noticeable for 24 hours or more would indicate a normal level of iodine.

My test results

This definitely makes since because from day 1, I have thought I had an under functioning thyroid. Needless to say the iodine patch was gone in 5 hours which indicates I have a severe deficiency of iodine.

He also did blood work where they test all four thyroid functions. I should have that back in a couple more days. He mentioned most family doctors will not treat you for a hypothyroidism until your levels are over 5.50. He said that he does not believe that approach at all. Waiting till 5.50 is just asking for trouble and he treats when it is over 2.00. He said why wait till it is getting out of control to treat it. Also most doctors just test one part of your thyroid. The way he described it made so much sense and I should have been treated all along for this just as I have been saying. I know most of my problems stem from this and pregnancy can wreck havoc on your thyroid.

He is waiting for my blood work to come back and then we will have another consult on which plan of action he wants me to take for my thyroid. I am so darn excited to finally get answers to all my problems and get a course of action.

Right now he prescribed for me to take

Guarana – PRN

Flax Oil with each meal

Selinium 200mcg 2x a day.

Hubbs and I are both so excited for me to get back on track and start feeling how I use to. Hubbs is going to go for an appointment to as well to get his health on the right track.

That wraps up my tests. He talked me through all the results and answered all my questions. It was like he really cared about my health and my feelings about different situations. I am definitely loving the holistic approach to my health!

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